What do you want?

[SteveDallas]

I want to solve problems for people.

That is all. It sounds so simple, doesn't it?

But what often happens is that somebody will ask for a problem to be solved, but will insist on a "solution" that does not actually fix the problem.

Or Person A will want a problem solved and Person B will not, where Person A has enough authority to insist that the problem be solved, while Person B, while not having the authority to counter A, has too much stature for me to simply say "I can't to it because B is being an obstructionist jerk."

Or Person C will want a "problem" solved, but Person D regards it not as a "problem" but as an essential condition, and neither of them is willing to acknowledge the other's position, much less negotiate about it.

Or they will insist that their problem is urgent and must be fixed as soon as possible, but will fail -- sometimes repeatedly -- to provide the most basic level of cooperation, such as providing access to the equipment causing the problem.